Northrop Grumman Deploys First Wave of Satellites for SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture

Northrop Grumman's first plane of 21 T1TL satellites successfully launched on October 10. (Photo Credit: Space X)

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. - Oct. 10, 2026 - Twenty-one satellites built by Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) were successfully launched and deployed for the Space Development Agency's (SDA) Tranche 1 Transport Layer (T1TL) satellite communications network. T1TL is part of the SDA's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), a rapidly fielded constellation of satellites designed to detect and track missiles and pass data around the world with almost no lag time.

Northrop Grumman's T1TL satellites:

• Help extend Link 16 - the secure, high-speed and jam resistant military data network - operationally to space, enabling satellites to rapidly deliver tactical data directly to the warfighter when every second counts.
• Utilize Northrop Grumman's 7-million square feet of manufacturing floor dedicated to space programs, all equipped with advanced production systems and AI-enabled capabilities.
• Combine in-house expertise with mature commercial products from industry partners to improve manufacturing speed, affordability and resilience at scale.

Expert:

Lou Christen, senior director, proliferated systems, Northrop Grumman: "Our first plane of Transport Layer satellites strengthens the PWSA constellation by adding capacity and diversity of an on-orbit asset, helping SDA accelerate toward global, resilient, instant connectivity for the joint force. We've fully embraced the rapid go-to-market strategy and are on contract to deliver approximately 150 innovative satellites for the warfighter, a key capability for an integrated, layered defense system."

Details:

T1TL will provide secure, resilient, low-latency communications and data transport in low Earth orbit to connect warfighters and PWSA missile-tracking satellites across a proliferated, interoperable space network. Northrop Grumman is also under contract to deliver more than 30 space vehicles for SDA's global constellation of missile warning and tracking satellites that integrate with the Transport Layer, enabling conventional and advanced missile tracking. The company is combining advanced technology and deep mission experience in military satellite communications and responsive ground solutions to for this next-generation constellation in low Earth orbit.

This marks the first in a series of Northrop Grumman's Tranche 1 launches. The second plane of 21 satellites is planned to follow, with several dozen additional satellites for the PWSA launched into LEO over the next six months. Using modern assembly lines and early investments, Northrop Grumman is building approximately 150 space vehicles for Tranches 1, 2 and 3.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers' toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.